Friday, June 30, 2017

Systemic Racism?

The St Jean Baptiste parade in 2017 was of incredibly poor taste. There are those who say there was no intention of racism. But please, what rock are people living under. Having a float pulled by visible minorities while the people on the floats are white DRESSED IN FUCKING WHITE????? You have to be braindead to not see racism.

It doesn't matter what the intentions were, it made Quebec look particularly racist.

Then the next day I find this gem on Journal de Montreal, where apparently it's common for personnel companies to be asked not to hire blacks! Like this is 2017. Really? I am 54. I grew up in Montreal and my neighbours as a child was a Haitian family. Blacks have been in Quebec for more than 50 years. What is wrong with people that they just see colour and not a human with skills?

I work in an engineering firm and hire interns 3 times a year. I tend to give interviews to every female that applies, regardless of her nationality, religion or country of origin. [Sometimes I can go a year without interviewing a female student] Over the years I've hired women from just about every nationality, including some born in Africa, who came to Canada just to study. I'm always told internships are supposed to help students. The students it helps the most is those who's family aren't likely to find them a job in the field.

Don't get me wrong I also hire men and they are also from everywhere in the world. One African man I hired, just blew my mind. He grew up in a village with no electricity and he was one of the people who helped put up electrical poles and cabling and he was so amazed by electricity that he went to the nearest big city to take an Electrician's course. But he wanted more and eventually made his way to Canada to do an engineering degree.

What prevents me from hiring people is a bad attitude in the interview. Your race, religion, skin colour or gender isn't what will affect my decision.